Diabetics are carb intolerant

Ashlie said:

Also I was 21 when diagnosed I'm now 25, 26 this year so I wasn't diagnosed that young and I can normally cope with anything life throws at me but this is hard and now I'm pregnant and trying even harder then I already was to try n get my levels normal for my little peanut n it's like I'm swimming in mud, I'm trying my best but not getting any where x

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Good luck & joy with the pregnancy. Ashlie.

zand said:

Yes @Ashlie, I echo these sentiments from AndBreathe. I was not diabetic when I was pregnant but I found pregnancy difficult enough to cope with on its own. I also find diabetes difficult too even though I don't need insulin, so I can't even begin to imagine the stress you are under right now. Thanks for your replies, they have helped me to understand you (and like you quite a lot too!). I really do wish you well and I and hope you stay with the forum because someone who has been in your situation may be able to help you with good advice.

Can we have that hug now?
x

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*hugs* lol this is my 3rd pregnancy but first as a diabetic and nothing about it is exciting, it's all medicalised which I know is all so I can have a beautiful healthy baby but it's a nightmare I'm at the hospital every week at the mo, it's the mental side of its too the constant worrying that the baby is going to be alright it's draining n I feel guilty every time I have a high reading and I have other health problems that I'm trying to get diagnosed n it's all just too much, thank you for your kind words xxx

SamJB said:

I'm pretty astonished that anyone, especially diabetics can think that we are tolerant of carbs. In medical terms - and I work in pharma - tolerance means to be subjected to something without an adverse effect. It's my job to measure the tolerance of oncology drugs in clinical trials.

Diabetics have adverse reactions to carbs; it's a simple fact. I would suggest that anyone who thinks otherwise, is unaware of what tolerance means.

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I'm gonna say it!!!!!! I'M TYPE 1 AND I HAVE AN INTOLERANCE TO CARBS!!!!!!

The insulin that I inject is NOT NATURAL and they reckon we are lacking in some STUFF (as scientific as I'm going to get at this time) compared to insulin produced by a normal pancreas.

I have to change my insulin to carb ratio depending on the time of day, exercise, and it feels like the bleedin weather. So I low carb to reduce mistakes.

I train at the gym in the morning to use the DP glucose dump. I don't eat before I go. I monitor my bloods and I rarely have to eat carbs to compensate.

Type 1 or type 2 can end up with the most appalling consequences so I never understand the need to argue about who has it the worst.

I come from a family were diabetes is rife. Type 1 and 2. And I can tell you this- none of the type 2's were overweight at diagnoses. That is a load of rubbish that it's all and only about lifestyle - lazy journalism and allows an us and them to thrive instead of fighting together to sort diabetes (any type).

Background insulin sorts out the glucose from the liver. Qa sorts out what you put in your gob. How much you choose yo out in your gob is your own personal choice. Some people no matter how much they carb count will not get the amount of insulin right because of other factors that can make carb counting a black art. (Hormones and s&&t).

So I agree I HAVE A CARB INTOLERANCE ESPECIALLY DURING A PERIOD!

And then there is the research about inflammation caused by too many carbs and insulin.

SHOTS FIRED!
I'm off.


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ElyDave said:

surely that logic only applies to those without an underlying defect?

You wouldn't say that someone with kidney failure and needing dialysis is intolerant to food would you?

I understand your logic in the purely clinical/phamacological sense, but I just dont think it is applicable in the case of a T1, you could argue it for T2.

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Don't all diabetics have raised sugar levels when they eat carbs? Therefore they have an intolerance to them.

I think it's even more pertinent for T1s; without injected insulin, we would display a huge intolerance to carbs, much more than T2s. That we don't, is down to the efficacy of the insulin. This poll question should therefore have been "do you control your diabetes well?"

SamJB said:

Don't all diabetics have raised sugar levels when they eat carbs? Therefore they have an intolerance to them.

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Then we have an intolerance to protein and fats Sam..............wouldn't you agree? As we know we have type 1 members on the forum who eat a very low-carb diet and need nearly equal amounts of QA insulin than those (like myself) who eat carbs in moderation, there's no such thing as a free lunch with type 1 diabetes and all food has the tendency to raise bg levels as many of us have found out.

If you look at Southport GP's advice to her type 2 patients she doesn't suggest that they totally exclude carbs from their diet, when the Dr posted her dietary plan for her patients on this forum it included items such as porridge oats, oat crackers, fruits (apples, pears, oranges) and only moderate portions of protein and fat, yet following this approach nearly all achieved amazing success and I suspect many don't take insulin as we do, so carbs (in moderation) can be included as part of a healthy balanced diet IHMO.

SamJB said:

Don't all diabetics have raised sugar levels when they eat carbs? Therefore they have an intolerance to them.

I think it's even more pertinent for T1s; without injected insulin, we would display a huge intolerance to carbs, much more than T2s. That we don't, is down to the efficacy of the insulin. This poll question should therefore have been "do you control your diabetes well?"

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Yes, but a "normal healthy person" will also see a BG rise after eating carbs, so by that logic, everyone on the planet is carb intolerant. They use exactly the same mechanism as us to recover that BG back to healthy levels, it's just that ours comes from a syringe.

That then directs us down the route of paleo eating, which to be honest is a load of cobblers. We are omnivores but have increased the proportion of refined, high GI carbs in our diet faster than evolution can keep up.

Perhaps the question should have been do you have a decent diet and drug regime that limits your exposure to damaging BG levels?

I'm not disagreeing with your technical definition of intolerance, but as an engineer I'm questioning it's practical relevance to me.

ElyDave said:

That then directs us down the route of paleo eating, which to be honest is a load of cobblers. We are omnivores but have increased the proportion of refined, high GI carbs in our diet faster than evolution can keep up.

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I don't get your logic here - on the one hand you're saying paleo is a load of cobblers, then in the next sentence you state exactly what the paleo diet is all about. If we aren't adapted to eating a diet of high GI carbs, then aren't we better off NOT eating that junk?

I guess I could be extreme and say that natural selection will take care of the people who insist on eating this pretend food, but it's hardly a good approach for the individuals who suffer while their (and their descendants) adapt to the refined, high GI carbs is it? And the vision of what these descendants are going to look like is a pretty scary proposition. Since researchers are already saying the current generation of children will be the first to live a shorter life span than their parents, I wonder what longevity among these descendants will be like? Diabetes apocalypse coming up?

Indy51 said:

I don't get your logic here - on the one hand you're saying paleo is a load of cobblers, then in the next sentence you state exactly what the paleo diet is all about. If we aren't adapted to eating a diet of high GI carbs, then aren't we better off NOT eating that junk?

I guess I could be extreme and say that natural selection will take care of the people who insist on eating this pretend food, but it's hardly a good approach for the individuals who suffer while their (and their descendants) adapt to the refined, high GI carbs is it? And the vision of what these descendants are going to look like is a pretty scary proposition. Since researchers are already saying the current generation of children will be the first to live a shorter life span than their parents, I wonder what longevity among these descendants will be like? Diabetes apocalypse coming up?

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Either you're misinterpreting or I'm not explaining well enough.

I was referring to the commonly espoused paleo diet that basically says "raaar, Im a caveman, eat meat, ug"

Whereas in reality the evidence is that our ancestors ate a variety of foodsources such as meat, fish, shellfish, fruits, nuts, seeds, berries, veggies and including starchy roots etc as they were in season. And lets face it, if presented with a tree full of ripe apples, I would imagine they would have gorged on what they could, and carried/stored what they could not eat as apples may not come around again for a while.

The latter is what I would consider a healthy diet (apart from the gorging of course), but we don't really eat seasonally anymore and have gone away from eating foods as they come. I love getting to our farmers market as I get veggies that are in season, fresh, at their peak, not stored. But then I like the convenience of having apples availabel when I want them as well.

Woudl natural selection not remove those from the population who are trying to adapt to a diet they can't handle? You could argue that obesity and other health issues are just that, but that's a whole different thread. Maybe I need to dig out my copy of "on the origin of species" again.

The original question was "are diabetics carb intolerant". I'll be honest, from the start, I thought no. As the thread progressed, I've changed my mind. We must be. This is a copy and paste job for a definition:

intolerance
ɪnˈtɒl(ə)r(ə)ns,ɪnˈtɒl(ə)rəns/
noun

1. unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behaviour that differ from one's own.
   "a struggle against religious intolerance"
   synonyms:
   
   
   • an inability to eat a food or take a drug without adverse effects.
     "young children with lactose intolerance"
     
     If we eat carbs, we get adverse effects, a rise in BG levels. It's been argued that surely even non-diabetics are carb intolerant ? I would say no because even though they will get a rise in levels, their body mechanism deals with it. That is normal. Us diabetics lack this process, therefore, we must be intolerant. I also understand proteins will cause the same thing.

@ElyDave I've yet to read "raaar, Im a caveman, eat meat, ug" in any paleo book or website, so if that's what you believe the paleo movement is about, you've been reading different sources than I have. The diet you're describing as perfect is exactly what the paleo authors agree is also ideal - the diet our ancestors evolved to eat prior to the invention of agriculture. So I guess we're reading different places in that regard, so a case of crossed wires.

I don't think evolution would necessarily remove everybody, unless they end up dying before they're able to reproduce.

mo1905 said:

The original question was "are diabetics carb intolerant". I'll be honest, from the start, I thought no. As the thread progressed, I've changed my mind. We must be. This is a copy and paste job for a definition:

intolerance
ɪnˈtɒl(ə)r(ə)ns,ɪnˈtɒl(ə)rəns/
noun

1. unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behaviour that differ from one's own.
   "a struggle against religious intolerance"
   synonyms:
   
   • an inability to eat a food or take a drug without adverse effects.
     "young children with lactose intolerance"
     
     If we eat carbs, we get adverse effects, a rise in BG levels. It's been argued that surely even non-diabetics are carb intolerant ? I would say no because even though they will get a rise in levels, their body mechanism deals with it. That is normal. Us diabetics lack this process, therefore, we must be intolerant. I also understand proteins will cause the same thing.

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I agree completely!

(I'm not here anymore honest but) I wanted to say, re the poll, I would vote 'yes' apart from the word 'just'. So I abstained. Diabetics aren't 'just' carb intolerant. Yes, carb intolerance is the main defining feature, and it's the common defining feature across different types of diabetics. But no, we are not 'just' carb intolerant. If only it were that simple...

doommoose said:

but the body will only burn fats in the abscense of carbs and cutting out one major food group will indominably damage you for example if you said you were proteins or fats from your diet you would do yourself more damage than if you where consuming all three. also being intollerent to something wouldmake you for example like a celiac, where it will royally mess you up if you eat gluton. you dont see celiac's going around eating toast then dosing off an epipen they avoid it as would diabetics if they where intolerant of carbs. if anything we are carb tollerent but too damaged to use these sources of energy as we would see fit

also carbs massivly help the body maintain normal bowel movement that reduces risk of constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis and colon cancer. By increasing excretion of cholesterol, fiber may decrease risk of heart disease, and by providing a feeling of fullness, which may help reduce risk of obesity. so if we where carb intollerent we would all be fat constipated cancer patients

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No this is not the case. It is impossible to cut out carbs completely but it is often rice, bread, pasta and potatoes which cause the issue for a lot of diabetic t2. I cannot comment on t1. I have cut out carbs apart from green veg and very limited fruit. Only berries. I am no longer very fat or constipated which I was when I was eating those things. My bs goes through the roof when I eat those things. As a consequence, I'd have to have no access to other food before I put them in my mouth again. My understanding is that carbohydrate is a source of energy therefore you can easily swap it out for fat. I eat and need far less food now I don't eat much carb.

AndBreathe said:

It feels like this thread is crumbling into a bit of willy waving......

"My diabetes is worse than your diabetes". So much for a supporting community.


The font is grey in order to signify the comment is my thought, not a contribution to the debate.

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Well thought!

Carbs through non starchy vegetables and berries only works for me pretty well.
I don't know of anyone personally who does a zero carb diet-not dangerous but too restrictive for me personally as I love green veggies and salads-especially with BBQ season appearing to be here finally after all this wind and rain.

I'm type 1, and I certainly don't tolerate a lot of carbs well. All the usual culprits, pasta, rice, bread, potatoes etc
I do eat carbs though, veg bit of fruit etc and for those I have to medicate as without that medication my body cannot tolerate the carbs. Until I go lo and then my body cannot tolerate no carbs.
So yes I am carb intolerant but diabetes is so much more than that.
It's a bl&@£y pain the the rear, that's what it is! X

Hang on a second - let's have a think about this - are we so sure that people with type 1 diabetes are intolerant to carbohydrate?
It seems to me a ridiculous notion.
What happens when someone with no insulin production eats carb/glucose? The body is unable to take the glucose out of the blood stream effectively. BG levels rise to the point that blood becomes like acid running around the body. The kidneys do their best to filter out the glucose, and wee becomes a stream of sugar.
You know how it goes, and it doesn't end well.
Would you say that somebody had an intolerance to cyanide or arsenic? To somebody who cannot produce insulin, carbohydrate (without an artificial source of insulin) would surely fall into the same category as a poison. Hence my conjecture - a ridiculous notion.
Just sayin'....
(Ducks head and runs for cover!)

Bebo321 said:

Hang on a second - let's have a think about this - are we so sure that people with type 1 diabetes are intolerant to carbohydrate?
It seems to me a ridiculous notion.
What happens when someone with no insulin production eats carb/glucose? The body is unable to take the glucose out of the blood stream effectively. BG levels rise to the point that blood becomes like acid running around the body. The kidneys do their best to filter out the glucose, and wee becomes a stream of sugar.
You know how it goes, and it doesn't end well.
Would you say that somebody had an intolerance to cyanide or arsenic? To somebody who cannot produce insulin, carbohydrate (without an artificial source of insulin) would surely fall into the same category as a poison. Hence my conjecture - a ridiculous notion.
Just sayin'....
(Ducks head and runs for cover!)

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Yes, No difference

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Spiker said:

Type 1 diabetic would eventually die anyway because of inability to clear ketones,

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@Spiker from what I understand you are correct about how the disease was treated prior to insulin.

I agree simplification us necessary to get the important part of the message across.

The most affective communicators in history had just that gift.

Many of us get lost because we can't see the forest from the trees.

What do you mean by the inability to clear ketones?



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